Smith & Nephew acquires Atracsys to expand its digital surgery ecosystem

Atracsys' fusionTrack 500 optical tracking camera will be a core enabling technology for Smith & Nephew's multi-asset digital surgery and robotic ecosystem, including initially in its next-generation robotics platform due for commercial release in 2020. The fusionTrack 500 offers superior measurement speed and latency performance, supporting reduced procedure times, as well as increased accuracy resulting in finer precision surgical tasks, such as bone cuts, compared to existing tracking technology.

"The promise of computer assisted surgery with robotics is to provide faster, more accurate, reproducible results that enable surgeons to restore quality of life to more patients," said Skip Kiil, Global President of Orthopaedics at Smith & Nephew. "With the acquisition of Atracsys, we are securing what we believe to be the best-in-class position tracking technology for our next-generation robotic-assisted surgical system."

Atracsys' portfolio includes open platform optical navigation and robotic tracking components with applications in orthopaedics, neurosurgery, spine and dental.  Smith & Nephew plans for the business to continue serving these markets. Atracsys will operate as a stand-alone business within Smith & Nephew. 

Atracsys was established in 2004, capitalizing years of research at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne (EPFL). In 2007, company launched the accuTrack, its first medically certified product which is currently used on a day-to-day basis for implant placement. The company should not be confused with Atracsys Interactive SA, the designer and developer of ultra-reactive Multi-User Multi-Touch Applications.

"Our aim is to continuously contribute to the improvements in healthcare all around the world, guiding surgical instruments with sub-millimetric precision," said Gaëtan Marti, co-founder and Chief Executive Officer of Atracsys. "Smith & Nephew's commitment to offer significant advancements in enabling technology across multiple surgical specialities will open breakthrough opportunities for robotics and computer-assisted surgery," added Maurice Hälg, co-founder and Chief Technology Officer.

The acquisition is expected to complete during the third quarter of 2019. The commercial terms have not been disclosed.